The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in the present disclosure and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Many electronic circuits, such as computer chips, use a random generator to generate random numbers for various functions, such as encryption and/or authentication. Some random number generators use an entropy source based on a metastable element to generate a random output value. The metastable element may be embedded in a feedback loop that contains deterministic and stochastic feedback mechanisms. The deterministic feedback forms a relaxation oscillator (e.g., an astable multivibrator) around the metastable element. The stochastic feedback provides a dynamic offset cancellation process.